Man Dies Trying To Set Freediving Record

A New York man trying to set a freediving record died Sunday after he surfaced from a depth of more than 200 feet.

Nicholas Mevoli, a 32-year-old from Brooklyn, hoped to reach 236 feet (72 meters) with one breath of oxygen and without the assistance of fins.

When he surfaced, he flashed the OK sign and then lost consciousness 30 seconds later, organizers said.

… In freediving, divers plunge to depths and resurface using a single breath, shunning breathing equipment such as oxygen tanks.

… “The joy of being in the water, suspended in silence, at that depth, is incredible,” said William Trubridge, who has won more than a dozen world championships.

… “The main thing which isn’t experienced in any other sport is what’s called the ‘blood shift,’ which is where all the blood is squeezed in from your extremities, and at the same time your lungs are becoming crushed by the weight of the water column above you. So you get blood pooling in the lungs.”

… In 2006, he lost consciousness before getting to the surface. He also lost his sense of taste, which has never returned.